Perhaps you’ve been looking back at your career and you’re asking yourself, “What happened?”  I recently listened to a job coach speech that mentioned if you’re not keeping your skills sharp, then you’re falling behind.  No wonder so many employers are looking for employees with certifications or straight out of college.  The employers expect the younger generation to be educated in the latest technology unlike the ”Old Geezer” that probably hasn’t cracked a book on their field in 20+ years.  Maybe you’re one of those...

While watching one of the latest Tekzilla  shows I learned about an information searching tool called Tink O Matic http://www.tinkomatic.com/ NOTE:  Click on Login as Guest butotn.  If IE shows a black screen, just click on the black screen, then it will show the search interface. It searches several information sources for the things you’re looking for: Stuff for Sale Cars & Vehicles For Rent Real Estate Jobs It has a pretty good selection of major metro areas to search in.  However, it isn’t very flexible if you’re looking at an area around a specific zip...

In any organization, some members are leaders, or supporters, while others are followers and some seem to always slow down progress. Which one are you?  If you look back on different organizations, maybe you can see yourself playing several of these roles. When you come into the presence of your organization, are members happy, relieved, irritated or stressed out? If your organization was surveyed about the value you bring to the group what would they say? Have you ever considered how you add value to your organization? Things to consider: Are your comments constructive or...

Informational interviewing is an informal way of building your networks and expanding your understanding of an organization or gaining new information in the industry.  The cool thing about this kind of interviewing method is that you’re not asking to be hired.   This kind of interview actually encourages a free exchange of ideas and information that probably would not have happened in a normal hiring interview.  Many times in an informational interview you might receive a referral to another person or department that is hiring. I have done a few of these informational interviews...

Most people don’t think about it while they’re busy working.  They’re too busy making a living to write down what they were doing, and who they knew while they were doing it.  My suggestion is that you take some time to jot down the major career highlights in your life. What to Chronicle in your career: List the volunteer positions and the organizations you’ve donated your time at (date range) List the employers you’ve worked for (date range) List the positions you’ve held at those employers (date range) List the contacts you’ve had and where...